The Exodus of Women in the Facility Management Workforce

Steven Call; Nneka Ubi; Jake Smithwick; Rebecca Kassa
Published: February 18, 2026
Type: Research Paper
Topics: Facility ManagementWorkforce

Practical Summary

This paper shows that women in facility management are present in the workforce but are much less represented in senior leadership roles, even though their education levels and pay are comparable to or higher than men’s. For practitioners, the main takeaway is that organizations should look beyond compensation and focus on promotion pathways, retention practices, mentorship, succession planning, and workplace culture to better support women’s advancement in FM.

Suggested Citation

Call, S., Ubi, N., Smithwick, J., & Kassa, R. (2026). The exodus of women in the facility management workforce. Journal of Research and Practice in Projects and Organizations.